Can we talk of
spirituality in the realm of sports? It is a valid question as the spiritual
elements are not so evident in games unlike others areas of life. Moreover,
this is almost impossible for those who set their notion of spirituality on the
basis of rituals alone. Perhaps, Don Bosco would have thought differently. He
was a priest always found in the streets with boys organizing games and even
playing with them. The primary concern for Don Bosco in all his endavours is
the salvation of souls. His successor,
Don Rua, says, “He (Don Bosco) took no step, he said no work, he took up no
task that was not directed to the saving of the young.” If games and sports do
not aid in any way in his prime motive of saving souls he could have not
included it as part of his educational system. In fact, it is almost impossible
to find a Salesian house without a playground. Thus there are many aspects of
spirituality found in sports. Let us see briefly some of them.
To begin with, holiness
in the spiritual frame of Don Bosco was very simple as he would say often, “it
is easy to become saint.” The simple way to become saint for Don Bosco is to be
cheerful always. When he found Dominic Savio, mortifying himself in order to
attain holiness, Don Bosco suggested him to join the games for ‘a sad saint is
a sorry saint’. What makes the young to be more cheerful is games. Now it is
clear that a good game is a fine means to sanctity. Even the Salesian
constitutions emphasizes on the role of playground while looking up to the
model Oratory, the oratory of Valdocco (art. 40). Playground is the place where
the young could enjoy themselves and in a way to find their path towards
sanctity. Thus sports is a means of holiness.
Playground is a place
where a young person is fully involved. For this reason Don Bosco suggests that
we can find the character of a boy in the playground. The young involve
themselves completely in active games, in other words, they are fully alive.
St. Ireaneus says that Glory of God is man fully alive. Even watching a game,
for example football, makes one to be engrossed into it; it is much more when
one plays the game. Players put their heart and soul together for a single
purpose without distraction. Don Bosco considers games as a way to take the
young away from evil for “Idleness is the workshop of devil.” Thus games take
young people closer to God by keeping them fully alive.
Another interesting
fact is that it is not easy to find a sportsman to be an atheist. The simple
reason is that the sportsman spirit makes the player to perfect himself or
herself in their field. However, it gives the realization that perfection
consists in transcendence. This is not very tangible but this is how a player
unconsciously believes. What does it mean? While striving for perfection itself
a value which can be applied to spirituality, a sportsman understands that it
is not a human venture alone to attain perfection. Thus players believe in the
transcendental power beyond themselves. Though some may call it ‘luck’ this
power is none other than God. One can recollect the experience of praying as a
team before the match or entering the field of play. Thus sports increases our
faith and our spiritual appetite.
Don Bosco, having
realized the spiritual elements in sports, not only encouraged the boys to play
rather joined their games too. Though the field of sports is active today, the
spiritual factors are lost in many ways. For example, sports is used as a means
of money-making. Another evil in sports today is the video games. Although one
may find the above said spiritual aspects in them, video game is disguised as
sports for it is not real but only an imaginary play like watching a movie. In
addition, it is also injurious to health. Thus my humble request for the youth
is to participate actively in sports to find God and holiness through cheerfulness,
commitment and the realization of the transcendence.